Ongoing environmental campaign #LoveYourForest is launching a new litter picking intervention, by joining forces with the mountain biking community to reduce litter along the popular bike trails this summer.
The Forest of Dean’s bike trails are hugely popular, with around 350,000 visits to Forestry England’s Cannop Cycle Centre every year – but single use plastic packaging from energy bars and drinks are being left behind by mountain bikers.
To inspire bikers to join their movement to tackle the issue, #LoveYourForest has teamed up with World Mountain Biking Champion Katy Curd, among others. Other organisations who are supporting the anti-pollution mission are Cannop Cycle Centre, Pedalabikeaway Café and Events, Dean Trail Volunteers, Trash Free Trails and Flyup DownHill shuttle bus.
As a nice incentive, champion biker Katy will be offering a coaching session to bikers who enter the #LoveYourForest competition, which requires entrants to take a photo of themselves and three or more pieces of litter that they collect from around the trails.
Katy said ‘Not only does litter have a damaging effect on the forest we are lucky to ride in, but it can also cause accidents to those travelling at high speed.
We need to make sure that when we are out on our bikes, the only tracks we are leaving are those left by our tyres!’
